Twine holder and cutter.



No. 725,282. PATENTED AIR. 14,1903 S. R. EARNEST.

TWINE HOLDER AND CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1902.

E0 MODEL.

TNE NORRIS Prrzns c0. FMDTO-UTHO" WASNINGTON. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

SAMUEL RHEA EARNEST, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

TWINE HOLDER AND CUTTER;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,232, dated April14, 1903.

To atZZ whmn it may concern.-

Beitknown that I, SAMUEL RHEA EARNEST, a citizen of the United States,residing at Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Twine Holder and Cutter, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in twine holders and cutters.

The object of the present invention is to improve the oonstruction oftwine holders and cutters and to provide an exceedingly simple andinexpensive device of great strength and durability adapted to receiveand hold the free end of the twine-or cord and capable of protecting thehand and the twine and of enabling the latter to be quickly wrappedaround a package and rapidly severed the proper length for tying.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which will grip the twine sufficiently to prevent it fromaccidentally slipping and at the same time permit the twine to be drawnthrough it when the proper force is applied.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a twine holder andcutter constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a.longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar viewshowing the preferred form of my invention. Fig. 4 is a detail viewillustrating the construction of the hinged blade and the manner ofmounting the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the draw- 1ngs.

l designates a tube or barrel forming the body portion of thetwine-holder and adapted to be held in the hand while wrapping the twinearound a package or bundle, and it is provided at one end with a reducedportion 2, having a small opening from which the twine is drawn. Theother end of the tube or barrel is preferably enlarged or flared but itmay be constructed in any other desired manner, and a block 4 ofapproximately semicircular shape is arranged within this end of the tubeor barrel and is adapted to receive the twine 5, which is clampedagainst the block 4 by means of a spring 6. The spring 6 extendslongitudinally of the twine-holder and is secured within the tube orbarrel by means of rivets 7 or other suitable fastening devices, and itbears against the twine with sufficient force to prevent the same fromaccidentally slipping, and at the same time it is adapted to permit thetwine to be drawn through the device when the proper force is v orbarrel will enable the twine to be readily passed, through the device.

The device is provided on its exterior adjacent to the end 2 with acutting device consisting of a taperingblade 9, provided at its innerend with a cutting edge and secured between a base-plate l0 and athumb-guard 11. The blade, which is preferably constructed of steel, isprovided at its inner end with a cord-receiving recess or notch and isoppositely beveled thereat to form the said cutting edge, and after thetwine has been wrapped around the bundle or package it is looped aroundthe cutter and is readily sev ered by a quick movement of the device.The base-plate is slightly curved to conform to the configuration of thetube or barrel; but the device, which forms a grip or handle, may be ofany other desired configuration. The thumb-guard is arranged at an angleto the body portion of the device and extends beyond the blade and formsa convenient surface to receive the thumb in grasping the device, whichis held in the hand with the thumb extended toward the end 2. Theinclined thumb-guard will then lie beneath the thumb and will conform tothe configuration of the hand and facilitate gripping the device.

In Figs. 3 and 4. is illustrated the preferred form of the invention, inwhich a hinged knife or cutting-blade 12 is employed. The

blade, which is constructed of steel, is provided at its inner end witha cutting edge, and it is fixed to a thumb-guard 13, which is arrangedat an angle to the tube or body portion of the device. The thumb-guardis provided at its outer end with eyes 14:, receiving a pintle 15, whichalso passes through an eye 16 of a base-plate 17. The hinged end of thethumb-guard is provided with a projecting lug 18, which is normally heldin engagement with the tube or body portion by the inner end of thespring 19, arranged'similar to that heretofore described and extendedinward beyond the rivets and engaging the inner longitudinal edge of theblade. The cord is adapted to be placed adjacent to the cutting edge ofthe knife or blade, which is forced downward against the action of thespring by pressing upon the thumb-plate. In order to prevent the cord ortwine from being forced outward by the blade, the base-plate is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed tongues or projections2l. Thetongues or projections are formed integral with the baseplate,preferably by reducing the inner end of the same and bending out aportion of the partially-severed metal. The inner end 20 of the spring19 always maintains the cutter in proper position for operating on thetwine.

The device is preferably constructed, as shown in the accompanyingdrawings, to form a handle for holding the free end of the twine and forpermitting the same to be readily manipulated without injuring the handor soiling the twine; but, if desired, it may be connected with a casingor receptacle for holding a ball of twine. Such receptacle or casingwill be composed of separable sections detachably interlocked, similarto the ordinary twineholder.

In order to enable the twine or cord to be positively held whilewrapping and tying a package, a depressible button 22 is provided. Thisbutton, which has a head arranged on the exterior of the tube or barrel,is provided with a shank 23, extending through a perforation of the tubeor barrel at a point opposite the block t'and arranged to engage thespring to enable the latter to be pressed firmly against the cord. Thisdevice 22 does not interfere with the operation of the spring while thecord or twine is being drawn through the tube or barrel; but it willenable the operator to place the cord or twine under the desiredtension, so that a package may be bound and tied as tightly as desired.

It will be seen that the device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive inconstruction, that it is adapted to hold the free end of a ball of twinein convenient position for ready use, that it serves as a handle for thesame while wrapping the twine around a bundle, and that it will enablethe twine to be readily severed. It will also be apparent that thespring yieldingly engages the twine and will enable the same to readilypass through the device when the proper force is applied and that thespring is entirely automatic in its operation.

What I claim is 1. A device of the class described having a handleprovided with a twine-passage anda seat, and a yielding brake having aportion normally bearing on said seat and a twineguide offset from theportion which bears on the seat and adapted to be brought into the planeof the seat by straining the twine.

2. A device of the class described comprising a tubular body forming ahandle and provided with an interior seat, and a spring arranged withinthe tubular body and provided between its ends with'an engaging portionand having an end portion located beyond the seat and provided with aperforation receiving the twine, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a tubular body portionforminga grip or handle to receive the free end of the twine andprovided with means for engaging the same, a blade mounted on theexterior of the tubular body at a point between the ends thereof, and athumb-guard extending over the blade, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a tubular handle adaptedto receive the free end of the twine, means for engaging the twine, andan exterior cutter mounted on the handle and comprising a base-plate, ablade, and a thumb-guard'arranged at an angle to the base-plate,substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a tubular handle adaptedto receive the free end of the twine and provided with means forengaging the same, a thumb-guard hinged to the handle, and a bladecarried by the thumb-guard, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described comprising a handle adapted toreceive the free end of the twine, and a cutting device comprising abase-plate, a thumb-guard hinged to the base-plate, and a blade carriedby the thumb-guard, substantially as described.

7. A device of the class described comprising a handle adapted toreceive the free end of the twine, and a cutting device comprising abase-plate mounted on the handle and provided with a slot, a thumb-guardhinged to the base-plate and having a lug, a blade carried by thethumb-guard and extending through the slot, and means for holding thetwine to the blade, substantially as described.

' 8. A device of the class described comprising a tubular handle, athumb-guard hinged to the handle, a blade connected with the thumb-guardand extending into the handle, and a spring located within the handleand arranged to engage the blade and the twine, substantially asdescribed.

9. A device of the class described comprising a tubular handle, athumb-guard hinged to the handle and having a lug, a blade car ried bythe thumb-guard, and a spring located within the handle and engaging theblade and the twine, substantially as described.

10. A device of the class described comprising a tubular handle, anexterior cutting device comprising a base-plate having projections, aguard hinged to the base-plate, a blade carried by the guard andextending through the base-plate and the adjacent side of the handle,and a spring arranged within the handle and engaging the blade andarranged to engage the twine, substantially as described.

11. A device of the class described comprising a handle, a bladearranged on the exterior of the handle and movable into the same, and aspring housed within the handle and arranged to engage the blade and thetwine, substantially as described.

12. A device of the class described having a handle provided with atwine-passage, a yielding brake, and a seat over which the twine SAMUELRHEA EARNEST.

Witnesses:

H. P. RoBIsoN, FRED B. SMITH

